The present invention pertains generally to assembled enclosures located about the box of a pickup truck or the bed of a flat bed truck to increase load capability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,185 issued to the present inventor discloses an enclosure utilizing metal fittings to join front and rear closures with the sides of the enclosure. Fittings on the ends of enclosure cross and side members include pins which are removably engageable with sockets carried by corner posts of the enclosure. The metal fittings do not lend themselves to being formed from plate stock by a shaping operation.
A survey of prior patents disclosing truck bed or box enclosures indicates that the fittings utilized for joining the enclosure members in detachable fashion are not capable of low cost manufacture nor lend themselves to the construction of an enclosure by a person with modest construction skills. The following U.S. patents disclose a variety of corner located fittings for assembled enclosures: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,947,566; 3,986,317; 4,703,969, while U.S. Pat. No. 2,080,764 discloses a bracket bent at a right angle to engage a second bracket as does above noted U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,969.
A need exists for enclosure fittings of low costs of manufacture for purchase by a truck owner enabling assembly of a box or bed enclosure on a do-it-yourself basis.